Reported by:
Foo Xin Yu Sr3ScB
On the 14th of October 2023, Kuen Cheng High School held a talk for the students of Senior Middle Three titled: Language and Equality – the purpose of fighting for the justice of Mr Lim Lian Geok. Our Teachers’ Professional Development Executive, Madam Wong Cheng Yoke was invited to present the talk at the Lee Shin Cheng Hall from 8:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
The talk was about the sacrifices and endeavors Chinese educators faced back in the day. Lim Lian Geok met unfair treatment during his journey to fight for Chinese education, with his Teaching license and citizenship unfairly revoked due to his strong opposition to the Rahman Talib Report and Education Act, which mandated schools to change the medium of instruction to Malay. 50 years after this happened, a movement to reinstate the citizenship of Mr Lim Lian Geok occurred, with the aim to also enact the Education Equality Act, to ensure fair treatment of Mother Tongue Education of the multirace in Malaysia.
Other significant people who had made impeccable contributions to conserving and developing Chinese education in Malaysia were also brought up, like Lim Fong Seng, father of the promotion of Unified Education Certificate (UEC).
Mr Bock Tai Hee who was a passionate teacher of Chinese Education, and an engaging orator held a talk concerning Chinese education in our school for previous students of the year Senior Three before promising to do so as well. However, he unfortunately could not make it due to the pandemic and passed away on June 16th of this year.
Madam Wong Cheng Yoke made the talk interesting to the students by engaging in various rounds of Q&A, letting the students step into the shoes of the pioneers of Chinese education. She asked about what they would’ve done if they lived in that time and had to make a pivotal decision. The students left the talk feeling grateful for these people, for the chance to be able to study in Chinese language.
